Ink ribbon cassette for thermal transfer printer

Abstract

A ribbon cassette 10 includes a cassette case 11 having a first accommodating portion 12, a second accommodating portion 13, and a connecting portion 14 connecting the first and second accommodating portions 12 and 13, a feeding core 12 and a take-up core 42 rotatably accommodated respectively in the first and second accommodating portions 12 and 13, and an ink ribbon R having a large width which can be fed from the feeding core 40 and taken up by the take-up core 42 through a connecting member 14, wherein there is provided in the first accommodating portion 12 in the vicinity of the connecting member 14 a shaft 19 extending along the direction of the width of the ink ribbon R, wherein there is provided in the connecting member 14 an edge portion 18 a of a wall portion 18 opposed to the shaft 19, and wherein the ink ribbon R fed out from the feeding core 40 is bent at the shaft 19, and then bent in the opposite direction by the edge portion 18 a before it is taken up by the take-up core 42, whereby it is possible to provide an ink ribbon cassette in which it is possible to achieve an overall reduction in size and in which the ink ribbon can be fed in a stable manner.

1. An ink ribbon cassette for a thermal transfer printer comprising:
 a cassette case having a first accommodating portion, a second accommodating portion arranged so as to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the first accommodating portion, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second accommodating portions,  
 a feeding core and a take-up core rotatably accommodated respectively in the first and second accommodating portions, and an ink ribbon wider than a printing width which can be fed from the feeding core and taken up by the take-up core,  
 wherein there is provided in the first accommodating portion in a vicinity of a feeding outlet for the ink ribbon a first support portion extending along an ink ribbon width direction, wherein there is provided in the connecting portion a second support portion opposed to the first support portion, the first support portion comprising a shaft connecting a side plate portion of the cassette case and a side surface portion of the first accommodating portion, and  
 wherein the ink ribbon fed out from the feeding core is bent at the first support portion, and then bent in an opposite direction by the second support portion before the ink ribbon is taken up by the take-up core.  
 
     
     
       2. An ink ribbon cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the first support portion consists of a shaft connecting a side plate portion of the cassette case and a side surface portion of the first accommodating portion. 
     
     
       3. An ink ribbon cassette according to claim  2    1 , wherein the shaft is rotatable around an axis. 
     
     
       4. An ink ribbon cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion consists of a pair of connecting members connecting end portions of the first and second accommodating portions, the second support portion consisting of a wall portion partially connecting the pair of connecting members. 
     
     
       5. An ink ribbon cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the first support portion comprises a shaft connecting a side plate portion of the cassette case and a side surface portion of the first accommodating portion. 
     
     
       6. An ink ribbon cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion comprises a pair of connecting members connecting end portions of the first and second accommodating portions, the second support portion comprising a wall portion partially connecting the pair of connecting members. 
     
     
       7. An ink ribbon cassette, comprising:
   a first accommodating portion adapted to support a first core for rotation about a first axis;        a second accommodating portion spaced apart from and fixed relative to the first accommodating portion, where the second accommodating portion is adapted to support a second core for rotation about a second axis that is generally parallel with the first axis; and        first and second support portions disposed to form a substantially crank - shaped travel path proximate the first accommodating portion for an ink ribbon connected between the first core and the second core, where the substantially crank - shaped travel path intersects a plane extending between the first and second axes.     
     
     
       8. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 7 , where the second accommodating portion is spaced from and fixed relative to the first accommodating portion by a pair of connecting portions disposed proximate opposite ends of the first and second accommodating portions. 
     
     
       9. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 8 , where the connecting portions define an open area therebetween through which an ink ribbon may travel between the first and second accommodating portions. 
     
     
       10. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 7 , where the second support portion comprises a wall intersecting the plane extending between the first and second axes. 
     
     
       11. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 7 , where the first support portion comprises an edge portion of a wall extending generally in a direction toward the second accommodating portion. 
     
     
       12. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 11 , where the second support portion comprises a wall that is generally perpendicular to the wall forming the first support portion. 
     
     
       13. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 12 , where the first and second support portions are disposed on a common side of the plane intersecting the first and second axes. 
     
     
       14. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 12 , where the first accommodating portion comprises an exterior wall that is spaced from the wall of the second support portion. 
     
     
       15. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 7 , further comprising an ink ribbon connected between the first core and the second core along the substantially crank- shaped travel path.   
     
     
       16. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 15 , wherein the ink ribbon is adapted for use in a thermal transfer printing process. 
     
     
       17. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 16 , where the ink ribbon has regions adapted to print different colors. 
     
     
       18. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 15 , where the ink ribbon has a width that is at least equal to a printing width. 
     
     
       19. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 7 , further comprising:
   a first mechanism disposed to alternately inhibit and allow rotation of the first core about the first axis in response to a force applied in a direction along the first axis; and        a second mechanism disposed to alternately inhibit and allow rotation of the second core about the second axis in response to a force applied in a direction along the second axis.     
     
     
       20. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 7 , where the first support portion comprises a shaft having a length at least equal to a width of an ink ribbon and disposed transverse to a direction of motion of the ink ribbon. 
     
     
       21. A thermal transfer printer, comprising:
   a main body;        a printing mechanism portion disposed in the main body;        a paper feeding portion disposed in the main body to provide paper to the printing mechanism portion;        an ink ribbon cassette accommodated in the main body and associated with the printing mechanism portion to thermally transfer ink from an ink ribbon disposed in the ink ribbon cassette to paper provided by the paper feeding portion, where the ink ribbon cassette comprises      a first accommodating portion adapted to support a first core for rotation about a first axis,        a second accommodating portion spaced apart from and fixed relative to the first accommodating portion, where the second accommodating portion is adapted to support a second core for rotation about a second axis that is generally parallel with the first axis,        an ink ribbon connected between the first and second accommodating portions, and        first and second support portions disposed to form a substantially crank - shaped travel path for the ink ribbon proximate the first accommodating portion, where the substantially crank - shaped travel path intersects a plane extending between the first and second axes.       
     
     
       22. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 21 , where the second support portion comprises a wall intersecting the plane extending between the first and second axes. 
     
     
       23. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 21 , where the first support portion comprises an edge portion of a wall extending generally in a direction toward the second accommodating portion. 
     
     
       24. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 23 , where the second support portion comprises a wall that is generally perpendicular to the wall forming the first support portion. 
     
     
       25. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 24 , where the first and second support portions are disposed at a common side of the plane intersecting the first and second axes. 
     
     
       26. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 24 , where the first accommodating portion comprises an exterior wall that is spaced from the wall of the second support portion. 
     
     
       27. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 21 , further comprising:
   a first mechanism disposed to alternately inhibit and allow rotation of the first core about the first axis in response to a force applied in a direction along the first axis; and        a second mechanism disposed to alternately inhibit and allow rotation of the second core about the second axis in response to a force applied in a direction along the second axis.     
     
     
       28. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 21 , where the first support portion comprises a shaft having a length at least equal to a width of an ink ribbon and disposed transverse to a direction of motion of the ink ribbon. 
     
     
       29. An ink ribbon cassette, comprising:
   means for accommodating a first core for rotation about a first axis;        means for accommodating a second core for rotation about a second axis, where the means for accommodating the second core is spaced apart from and fixed relative to the means for accommodating the first core; and        means for forming a substantially crank - shaped ink ribbon travel path proximate the means for accommodating the first core, where the substantially crank - shaped ink ribbon travel path intersects a plane extending between the first and second axes.     
     
     
       30. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 29 , where the means for forming a substantially crank- shaped ink ribbon travel path comprises:      a first support disposed to engage an ink ribbon along a width thereof; and        a second support disposed generally parallel to the first support to engage the ink ribbon along a width thereof, where the first and second supports are arranged to engage opposite faces of the ink ribbon.     
     
     
       31. The ink ribbon cassette of  claim 30 , where the first and second supports are disposed at a common side of the plane extending between the first and second axes. 
     
     
       32. A thermal transfer printer, comprising:
   means for printing; and        cassette means for supporting an ink ribbon proximate the means for printing, the cassette means comprising      means for accommodating a first ink ribbon core for rotation about a first axis,        means for accommodating a second ink ribbon core for rotation about a second axis, where the means for accommodating the second ink ribbon core is spaced apart from and fixed relative to the means for accommodating the first ink ribbon core, and        means for forming a substantially crank - shaped ink ribbon travel path proximate the means for accommodating the first ink ribbon core, where the substantially crank - shaped ink ribbon travel path intersects a plane extending between the first and second axes.       
     
     
       33. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 32 , where the means for forming a substantially crank- shaped ink ribbon travel path comprises:      a first support disposed to engage an ink ribbon along a width thereof; and        a second support disposed generally parallel to the first support to engage the ink ribbon along a width thereof, where the first and second supports are arranged to engage opposite faces of the ink ribbon.     
     
     
       34. The thermal transfer printer of  claim 33 , where the first and second supports are disposed at a common side of the plane extending between the first and second axes.